


Etiam Alter Locus

by bizzarocole (orphan_account)



Category: MCSM, Minecraft (Video Game), Minecraft Story Mode
Genre: Gen, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2016-11-29
Packaged: 2018-08-14 12:13:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8013301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/bizzarocole
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the Enderdragon was erased from existance it left behind an egg and a coward. The egg placed upon a lonely pedastal has now hatched and brought old life back into the world. But the coward themself, lost between worlds. Perhaps forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: The Dragon Egg

_The Law of Conservation of Mass states that matter cannot be created nor destroyed, only transferred._

* * *

 

     Five lights in the darkness moved across a sand and obsidian world, occasionally towering monsters with jaws that could come unhinged and shining but empty purple eyes would blink to and fro. Their calls nothing but a haunting screech in the stillness of the world. Sometimes they would appear suddenly before the group, daring the quintet to look them in the eyes. The one with fiery hair almost always dared a look, he found the creatures most exquisite. He would always look back down before getting a glance at their faces.

  
     Overhead, cutting through the still air, soared a jet black monster with glowing purple eyes. Larger and fiercer than any creature they had ever encountered. As they stepped into a clearing where the tall creatures did not populate the monster in the sky arched towards them. All teeth and anger. The five heroes were trespassers in its world and it sought to eliminate them permanently. The one embellished in red shakily fired arrows at the soaring creature, on impact the monster howled. The noise echoed through the bones of the heroes, their bodies shook.  
The monster circled around an obsidian tower, two interlocked floating squares reached out with purple and white beams to heal it. As the light traced the scales of the creature it shined iridescently purple. Had the monster not been hostile the heroes might have looked on with awe.

  
     The heroes, however, found themselves stuck with an unbearable sense of horror and dread. The monster was out for their blood, it smelled their fear, hungered for their anguish. It sent their knees knocking and drained them each of their color. They weren't ready but there was no turning back. The green and red heroes rushed to build a catapult to throw explosives at the monster.

  
     Before they could finish however the creature charged them with maw agape, drooling acid and fire. The man with fiery red hair, frightened for his life, in an act of conservation pulled a tan cube from his pocket. He held the tan cube with flashing lights high into the air, it glowed blindly and then ceased. The dragon had vanished. In its place was an egg and a portal home.

  
     The other heroes turned to him, mouths open in shock. Except for one, whose mouth was closed in a tight line. He felt the shame rise in his stomach for his cowardly move. His face colors under his friends' stares. None of them wanted to die, but none of them knew how to explain what happened.

  
     The heroes worked together on a story to tell the people. They agreed the man with the diamond sword, who had a voice all the people trusted should be the one to deliver the story upon their "triumphant" return. They agreed to disband afterwards, each feeling the pang of guilt for their would be lies. The pale man with long black hair and scruffy beard, angered by the lies his friends agreed to tell, would only keep quiet if he could have the treasures they've collected in past journeys. He had believed so hard in his friends, in the face of a cowardly lie, he broke.

  
     Upon the heroes return and the animated retelling of their false triumph in the face of fear itself the people of the world celebrated. They threw a feast for the heroes and with heavy consciences they participated. They drank and ate away their shame, at the end of the night they were all merry, except one.  
A month later they disbanded, against the wishes of the people. They all went off to do their own things. The woman who bent Redstone to her will retreated to build her own establishment. A town of people who shared her passion. The griefer in green did the same. He became a King of the mischievous parts of society. The builder with fire for hair retreated far away, isolating himself between his hailing world and The End. The warrior with the smooth voice and diamond sword stayed a hero to the people. The guilt eating him everyday. And finally the mage retired to The Far Lands, bringing the nostalgia inducing treasures with him. He placed them upon pedestals one by one. And stewed in his anger.


	2. Chapter 1: The Lady of the Pond

     Jesse placed a single emerald on the pedestal in front if her, the light catching and throwing brilliant green light around the room. Another treasure from another adventure. Lukas stood behind her and scribbled something down quickly in his second journal. Petra and Ivor sneak a look over his shoulder. Lukas snapped the book shut, as if what he wrote was private when really everyone would come from all over just to read about The New Order's adventures, and he would let them.

  
     "The sun is going to set soon," She looked through a window in the temple, the sky already a blood orange. "We should get some rest right?" She turned back to her friends, who either shrugged or nodded. Petra and Ivor still seemed pretty awake from the adventure but Lukas looked exhausted. Nut why wouldn't he be, he got the brunt of the adventures shortcomings this time. She stepped back from the Emerald's pedestal and locked arms with her exhausted friend, offering to walk him home.  
Lukas of course accepted, and the four of them stepped out onto the lit streets of the city. People waved as they passed, most returning to their homes after running their daily errands or maintaining their shops. It was still sort of shell shocking that all these people regarded them as heroes, as legends. They were loved and respected.

  
     Petra was the first to depart, walking off into the plains at the edge of the still developing city. Which got closer and closer to her hidden abode. She knew soon she'd have to break everything down and fill her home with cobble and move further away. Petra was still learning how to open up to her friends, so it was a little awkward everytime Jesse would 'casually' mention nice plots of land up for claim in the city. Maybe one day.

     Shortly after they arrived at Lukas' place. A humble home made of dark oak and mossy cobble, a small garden flush to the side where he grew an array of crops. Jesse waved him goodbye, watching as he went inside and waited till he flicked the lights on. Bookshelves upon bookshelves visible through the windows.

  
     "Why don't you ask him on a date already?" Ivor pried as they walked onward to his skull shaped fortress that cried tears of lava. Jesse colored immediately. "I don't know what you're talking about." She tried to act coy but Ivor could see right through her like a pane of glass. "Oh please." He furrowed his eyebrows. "There's no Witherstorm or portal adventure or maniacal old builders in your way anymore. I know that's what was holding you back before." He knew her better than the back of his own palm. "You fell for him when the world was being torn apart. You thought it was highly inappropriate. Petra and I both watched you trip over your own two feet falling for Greaser McDreamboat." Jesse was glad there was no one else on the street to over hear them. "Ivor, I just don't think now is a good time." She gave weak protest, feeling relieved when the looming skull came into view.

     "What happens when Blondie gets with someone else?" Jesse walked Ivor around to his hidden entrance and pushes the button for him. "Goodnight Ivor." She says forcefully and walks away.

* * *

 

     Jesse didn't know how but she found herself back at the New Order's Temple, sitting at an oak tables reading Lukas' journal. The one he wrote during their spiel with the portal hallway. Memories flooded her senses, the Eversource Chicken, the White  
Pumpkin, PAMA and Harper, a weird narrative gap in the Old Builders Games. She looked back on the treasures that floated on pedestals around the room. Absently she shut the book and got up to put it back in its place. Her gaze cast upon the Old Order's treasures. Technically the New Order's as well since the items had a hand in the Witherstorm adventure. She thought mainly of Ivor, who she would catch staring at the treasures with sad nostalgia occasionally. The Order had hurt him but he still missed his old friends. All of their treasures earned the hard way. Except one.

     Jesse ran a hand down the smooth mostly black egg. It glinted a rich violet in the light. Sometimes she caught herself wondering what the egg was for, just a trophy or was it ever supposed to hatch. She moved to take her hand away but felt a faint pulse. Startled but curious she let her hand remain. Jesse had felt the pulse before, when she was loading the treasures into hoppers for Ivor's door puzzle. She had thought it was her nerves back then. But now it was undeniably the egg.

     Her other hand touched the egg as well and she felt another pulse, stronger than the last. Was it. Was it hatching? She picked up the egg, if it happened to be hostile she couldn't let it hatch in the city. Jesse ran out of the temple, the egg cradled in her arms.

     The stronger the pulsing grew the dizzier they made her. She stumbled out into the open plains, almost falling as a pulse shook her body. She ran, past the Zombies, faster than the Skeletons could shoot, jumped over Spiders, and avoided too many Creepers and Endermen to count. She was still running when a rose bush snagged on her armour, making her lurch forward and throw the egg. It splashed into a small pond in front of her. She disentangled herself from the thorny bush and pushed herself up, rushing to the ponds side. Unlike other items, the egg floated neatly at the top of the water. She dipped into the pond and waded through chest deep water. She reached out to the egg, her finger tips brushing the smooth surface but it moved away from her. Confused she tried again with the same results. She finally cornered the egg in the pond and was able to catch it between her hands, it sent a pulse up her arms that shook her insides making her feel nauseated.

     The world swimmed in front of her eyes, she leaned against the wall of the pond. The egg tucked close to her chest with her other arm out over the side keeping her upright. As the world stopped moving on its own she began to notice the egg had started beating along with her own heart. She took her hand from the side of the pond and held the egg gently. Hair stuck to her forehead with sweat, her eyes drooped and she still looked a little green. The egg flashed white light, panic rising in her again she let go. The egg bobbed where she had it cornered. It flashed once more. Jesse backed away. The egg shook and the water around it rippled. The shaking turned to rapid vibrations as the egg flashed in a rhythmic pattern. Jesse back to the other corner of the pond. Spikes of white and purple light began to radiate from cracks forming along the shell.

     Something like an explosion went off in front of her, momentarily flooding the area with pure white light. Jesse threw an arm over her eyes to protect them.

     The light faded, leaving nothing but the pale glow of the setting moon. She lowered her arm, peering over to see what had hatched from the egg.  
A woman stood nude in the water and Jesse flushed with embarrassment, she had pale brown skin and purple eyes. Black hair that shined violet in the moonlight. Her nails, Jesse noticed were black and had dull points. She had scars that littered her arms and a gash over her shoulder. Jesse realized she was staring with her mouth open and she closed it. "Who. Who are you?" She asked suddenly feeling unsafe under the woman's glinting violet gaze, like an Enderman was looking through her.

"My name is Jean? Who are you?"


	3. Chapter 2: A Believable Story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Published a little sooner than normal since I worked on this one before Ch 1, and also because I finally had a day off from work.

     She said her name as if it were a question, it wasn't. Jesse forcibly relaxed her shoulders which had raised in defense. "I'm Jesse." She responded. "Were you the egg?" The woman looked confused, her features scrunched. "The egg?"

  
     "The Enderdragon egg." Jesse clarified for her. Jean's eyebrows raised. "Then yes I guess." She told her. Jesse got out of the pond and walked around to offer a hand to the newly appeared woman. "Are you the Enderdragon?" She asked as the woman took her hand and allowed Jesse to pull her up and out. "I was. Unwillingly of course." Jesse handed her some leather armour to cover herself and she accepted it gratefully for the time being.

     "What do you mean by unwillingly?" Jesse's eyebrows raised this time and Jean looked as if she had been asked to swim through a lake of lava. "It was a curse, a spell, I made someone angry. It was a punishment." Jesse was curious as to who Jean had made angry enough to turn her into a monster. But she felt as if she were prying too much now.  
Jesse heard the moan of approaching Zombies and grabbed Jean's hand. "Let's get you back to the Temple before we become mob bait." The woman silently followed her, Jean didn't exactly trust Jesse but what else could she do upon being thrust back into the world, stripped bare of her tools and defenses. She looked to the girl leading her towards a lit city, a youthful but hardened warrior shined through her eyes. Her armour suggesting importance, her grip suggesting a gentle strength. Her eyes, determination.

     As they stepped onto a stone walkway Jesse released her hand and motioned for her to follow. "Who are you really, Jesse?" She fell into stride with the young girl. Violet eyes locked onto the side of Jesse's face. "What do you mean?"  
"I mean no normal miner nor adventurer I've ever encountered wore armour like yours. You aren't just wandering through caves and crossing desserts in armour like that. It's special. You're special." Jesse felt heat rise in her face under the woman's scrutiny. Olive eyes locked with violet. "My friends and I saved the world." She told her companion rather simply. "I believe you. You have an air."  
The two fell silent as they approached the lit Temple. The sun just trying to make it's way over the horizon. She let Jean in first and followed in after her. "What am I going to tell the others?" She mused to herself. "Your friends?" Jesse nodded, the egg was missing from the pedestal and here stood this woman. Who looked rather awkward in the leather leggings and chest plate. "Could you wait here for me? I'm going to get you some real clothes." Jesse led her to a sitting area with some bookshelves and an enchanting table. "Make yourself at home, you can grab a book if you like."

* * *

 

     Jesse was much shorter than Jean so there was no way the woman would fit into any of her clothes, even her biggest ones. But she knew someone who was almost as tall as her.  
Jesse rang the doorbell to the large cottage, much smaller on the inside due to the covering of all the redstone wiring. Olivia answered the door, rubbing at her tired eyes with a cookie in hand. "Jesse the sun isn't even up yet." She moved to invite her friend in anyways, offering a cookie to her as well. "Olivia I need to borrow some clothes, please." She got right down to it but her friend looked at her sideways. "Why?" She dragged the question out with a squint. Her friend was much too short to wear anything she owned.  
"I'll show you when we get back to the temple." Jesse promised her, putting her hands together in a please motion, doing her famous puppy dog eyes. Olivia couldn't say no to that face and it wasn't like it was an unreasonable request. She went to her room and Jesse followed, flipping the switch and illuminating the room.

     Jesse watched Olivia rummage through a chest by her bed. "Get underwear too." Olivia grumbled through her tiredness, a little jealous of Jesse's boundless energy, it wasn't hard to tell her friend got no sleep last night and would probably be fine until tonights sunset. She pulled some black shorts and a dark olive tanktop from the chest and handed them to her friend. As well as underwear. "I'm not going to be getting these back am I?" She asked in a sarcastic manner already knowing the answer. Jesse smilled sheepishly at her and motioned to follow her back to the the temple, grabbing an extra cookie on the way out.

* * *

 

     When Jesse and Olivia arrived at the Temple they were alarmed at the commotion that could be heard from the outside. Citizens, who were just emerging from their houses looked on in curiosity. Rumors were sure to start later. Jesse threw open the front doors and Ivor paused from where he had been building Iron Bars around Jean who had been hit with a Slowness Splash Potion from the looks of the frozen scowl on her face. It looks as if Ivor had pushed her to the ground in a struggle. "Jesse I'm glad you're finally here. I caught this thief in the library." Jesse put a hand to her forehead in exasperation. "Ivor, no, this is Jean. A friend." Maybe not anymore after being attacked like this. Ivor looked utterly confused, sputtering a little in a struggle to find words.

     "Jesse!" His voice already whiney. "When I came into the library she screamed at me and when I tried to subdue her she bit me! It hurt Jesse!" Ivor had a voice control problem which Jesse was of course used to by now but Olivia was not, apparent by her flinching when he raised his voice on certain syllables. Jesse wondered if Jean remembered Ivor, she never mentioned what she did and did not remember. Jesse stepped forward and broke down the iron bars, Ivor's mouth agape with offense. The Slowness wore off quickly after and Jean fell back with the force of normal momentum again. Jesse helped her up and apologized profusely for Ivor's actions.

     Jean rubbed the back of her head where she hit it on the floor. "It's fine Jesse. I was just. Surprised to see him. I honestly didn't know that time hadn't passed as much as I thought." Ivor and Olivia raised their eyebrows and he finally shut his mouth. Ivor was the first to speak up, furious about one of his favorite treasures being gone. "Where is the egg you thief?!" Jean gave him a bewildered look and Jesse took the clothing from Olivia and pressed it into her friends chest, she wrapped her arms around the clothes and Jesse ushered her to go change saying she would tell Ivor what happened. Jean quickly made her way to the library, Ivor's presence obviously put her on edge.

     Jesse snapped her head back to Ivor as soon as the door shut, her eyebrows furrowed and lips drawn in a tight line. Ivor hated that look, and he looked away in shame. "Ivor." She put on her authority voice. Ivor looked like a dog who got caught tearing up something expensive. "Did she attack you first?" Ivor shook his head no. "Did you just jump her?!" Jesse sounded mad. She was mad. Ivor hated to displease her, after all she was the one who gave him a second chance when no one else was willing. She was the only one who fully trusted him and it meant a lot to him. "Yes," Ivor took a pause, his voice quiet for once. "But she bit me!" Nevermind. Ivor pulled back his sleeve and showed her the angry red teeth marks on his forearm. "Because you attacked her Ivor! You're lucky she didn't have anything to really harm you with." Jesse took his arm to examine the bite. She didn't break the his skin atleast, but it would bruise. Jesse's face softened. Ivor relaxed some, she wasn't as furious as she seemed.

     "Jean is the egg." Jesse mumbled as she pulled Ivor's sleeve back down. It made her feel a little stupid when she said it outloud, after all it did sound like the most unbelievable thing in the world. Olivia cleared her throat and the two looked at her. "What are you talking about Jesse?" She had an eyebrow cocked and a hand on her hip. "I mean, I was just looking at the treasures last night, and when I. When I touched the egg. Well it started. Pulsing?" Jesse knew the story sounded ridiculous, really she did, but it was the truth and she hoped her friends believed her. "I picked it up and I thought it was going to hatch. I know I couldn't let it hatch in the city and endanger all these people. So I, ran with it to the plains. I tripped and accidentally threw it, it landed in a pond. And when it hatched. She was standing there. In it's place."  
Her friends squinted harshly at her. Jesse had never lied to them and they knew she had no reason to now but the story she told was extremely far fetched. "Did you look at her?" Jesse asked in her own defense. "She had purple eyes and black hair. No one has purple eyes." She was right. The two gave each other a sideways glance before decided that their friend wasn't lying.

     Jean exited the library in the new clothes, a much better fit than the leather armour Jesse had gave her. "Do you want proof?" She asked, handing Jesse the leather clothing. Of course she had been snooping on their conversation. Olivia didn't much care, but Ivor, still bitter about being bitten nodded. Of course he did.  
"You were the only one who thought you and your friends could win. But it when it was obvious you couldn't you were ready to accept death with grace. Your friend with the fiery hair wasn't. He pulled out a tan blocked that blinked different colors. It went dark and I felt nothing." Ivor gaped, he believed her now, but was she mad at him? He did have the intention to kill her after all, would the same thing have happened if he had? He pushed the thoughts aside and apologized quietly.


	4. Bloody Nose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse and Jean gather ingredients to make a couple cakes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. I got caught up in Hurricane Matthew. Then work got really busy for me because of the Holiday season, and then the icing on the cake was the new Pokémon games coming out and distracting me further.

     It didn't take long for Jean to make a small home in a tiny alcove in the library of the temple. There was just enough space for a bed, furnace, chest, and crafting table. She had blocked it off with oak planks and a door of course. Jesse had offered her a place to stay in her home and even a plot of land but Jean preferred the small dwelling with all the books she could read. There was no one to disturb hervg and no one she could disturb. During the night time of course. During the day Lukas and Ivor were in and out all day and of also some normal citizens, a couple scholars, kids sometimes. Jean usually accompanied Jesse to the market during the day to get away from the strangers. Jesse, who had become quite the chef once things settled down for her, had Jean carry her basket as they talked and made their way from booth to booth. Today Jesse just so happened to be making a couple cakes. When you have a lot of friends you can't just make one cake.

     Jean didn't much understand the currency system used by the town. She knew that iron ingots were worth more than iron ore but gold ore was worth more than an iron ingots and gold ingots were worth more than gold ore. Or if you happened to be trading with a Redstone Engineer they preferred redstone dust over any type of gold or iron. And emeralds and diamonds were only used in large trades. Like multiple horses or other animals. Though sometimes they were traded for these things called Lucky Blocks.

     There was also a lottery were you paid a coal block for a piece of paper with a number on it. If your number was pulled in the drawing you won the prize of the day. Which was anything from full sets of Iron Armour, Enchanted Books, a small number of diamonds, saddles, mob heads, rare crop seeds, Ender Pearls, and the dud prize of rotten flesh and bones. Jean was sort of addicted to playing, especially after Jesse showed her the game and got a ticket for her which won her a Creeper Head. Her number today was 19. Jesse patiently stood next to her in the crowd of people waiting for the winning number to be pulled. The man who runs the lottery paced the stage as people were still being granted their tickets by the ushers. After a few minutes he cleared his throat and the ushers gathered to stand in front of the crowd. A hush fell over the crowd, anticipation blanketing the air.

     "Today's winning number is..." The man unfolded a piece of paper in his hand. "42."  
Jean shrugged at Jesse and they both turned to return to their shopping. "There's always tomorrow." Jesse said as Jean handed her the lottery paper so she could stop and use it to organize her list. They stopped at a resting area and sat down at a shaded table, Jean sat the basket on the table for Jesse to look through. She wrote down the things she still needed on the lottery paper and threw her old list away. As they sat a couple of kids came by and said hi to Jesse, she was always friendly and greeted them back much to their delight. She was a hero, a celebrity of sorts. Jean always watched these interactions with curiosity. They intrigued her. Of course she had read Lukas' book on their adventure and even his retelling of the Witherstorm. There was no doubt that Jesse and her friends were heroes. Jean sometimes looked at her in some weird awe. Jesse was a young adult, and she had saved the world and gone on fantastic adventures, stopped a megalomaniac from imprisoning people for his amusement. Her life for the past year had been a whirlwind of life and death and frankly, excitement. Even Jesse herself admitted that now that things were sort of back to normal all she had been through was kind of exciting.

     Jesse handed Jean the old list and she pocketed it. "All we need are eggs and milk." Luckily there was a stall that sold both of those things. A rancher's partner ran the booth, while the rancher himself tended to the animals back home and made deliveries to the booth three times a day on an old mule.

     The two left their table and started down the pathway to the booth, a cobble path with green growing from the cracks of the rocks. To Jesse it was sort of surreal how fast nature was recovering from perhaps the worst storm in history. It only seemed like a week ago they were still running from it. She bumped into Jean who had stopped at the booth, she was distracted. Jean gave her a funny look and Jesse shrugged sheepishly.

     Noah, the rancher, was just delivering fresh buckets of milk to the stall when the two strolled up. He and Jesse got along well, she was one of his regulars after all. Jean was more so friends with Noah's husband and partner, Ben. The two were quite the pair, Noah was a tall and broad man with the warmth of a bear and Ben was an even taller but bean pole of a man with the voice to quell the wildest beast. "Hey Jesse, what are you up to today?" Noah greeted her as Ben opened the stall's chest and loaded the items he was handed. "Hi guys. Baking some cakes." Jesse patted Noah's old mule, Carmine who shook off her dusty coat. "I need some milk and eggs." She continued with a smile, Carmine nipped at her fingers.

  
     Ben spoke up this time. "There's a cake vendor now." He nodded to a booth a few feet away and Jesse and Jean turned around to look. A young woman had garnered a small crowd around her booth, selling cakes. "Poor Joyce was booted from her spot when that girl pitched her cake booth to the owner. I understand that people love cake but hers isn't that good." Noah handed some buckets of milk to Jesse and Jean and two eggs in the basket Jean had over her shoulder.

     Joyce, an elderly woman, had sold dungeon loot. Her granddaughter was an explorer of sorts. Whatever loot she didn't keep she gave to her grandmother to sell. The both of them had only met her on one occasion, she had ridden a mule into town, its chests loaded down. Dropping off sponges and horse armor and saddles. Jesse, of course, already had enough sponges to build a play castle. It didn't stop her from buying two right on the spot and introducing herself to the other young explorer. Her name was Ishani.

     "I guess Joyce just went to live with her granddaughter out in the Swamp." Ben remarked as he took payment from Jesse, and stored it away with the milk and eggs. "It's hard to believe that girl has a settlement anywhere." Noah added and leaned over the stall to give Ben a quick peck before saddling up again to return home. "I'll bring your horse on my next delivery." He waved to the two girls and was on his way again.

     Ben said his goodbyes as the two began on their way back to the Temple. Even though Jean was the only one who lived there, there was a full living quarter with a kitchen in a lower level. They headed back through town, passing general stores and tool suppliers. The city was covered in tracks for people to use, people were always zooming by in minecarts. Axel and Olivia happened to pass by the pair on their way back from Boom Town. The two had been helping Magnus make improvements to both Boom Town and Redstonia for a long time now. The two cities were now connected via rails, sisters cities. Always introducing new ideas to each other. They both hopped out of their carts to meet with two, the carts carried on back to the central station without them.

     The two took a bucket each from Jesse as they walked up. "You're making cakes, aren't you? My stomach is already rumbling." Axel held a hand over his stomach imagining the cake already. She laughed. "Yes. I'm making two cakes actually." Axel skipped a little bit but Jesse cleared her throat. "Gabriel is coming to visit tomorrow and I thought it would be nice if we all got together over something sweet." Gabriel had been touring but the two were exchanging letters regularly, she'd always send the letters to the inn of whatever town he had been staying in. She finally convinced him to take a breather and come home to visit for a bit. Jean hadn't met him yet, she had seen banners of him however and she remembered his face. She had met Magnus a while ago and had to admit the man was much too intense for her, not that she didn't like him, but that she didn't like having to stay on her toes.

     "So we're not eating these cakes today?" Axel asked, disappointment laced in his voice. "No, Axel." Olivia answered for her friend. Jesse let out an airy laugh at the two, light and happy. Watching the three always stirred up something in Jean. A feeling she could only describe as 'heart warming' or maybe just a longing she had. It was strange for her, it wasn't anything she had ever felt before. Maybe she just missed her friends from before. They would all be long dead by now though. Long long dead. Though maybe they had living relatives she saw no use in seeking them out. What would she say? 'Oh I was friends with your, how ever many greats it takes to cover the generations I missed, grandmother.' It was silly.

  
     "Jean?" Jesse waved her hand infront of her friends face. She snapped aware, her shoulders hunching around her ears. "Sorry, sorry. I was thinking." Her shoulders relaxed once more. Jesse covered her mouth with her hand as she smiled. "Olivia asked how your redstone stuff was coming along." Jean had messing with the stuff, after visiting Redstonia with Olivia a couple times she became fascinated with the stuff, wanting to learn it herself.  
"Oh, well I got the door bell and hidden door down but I can't seem to make the retracting light work." She had been working on this light system that would replace the light with a block of ceiling when she flipped the switch. Somehow she wasn't placing the circuits right or maybe it was pistons, honestly she couldn't tell. She even broke down and built the structure again a couple times. Following the instructions she was given exactly. "I'll have to watch you put it together before I can figure out what's happening to not make it work." Olivia didn't know what she could be doing wrong, it was a simple fixture that she could build in her sleep and was it was similar to the door she had Jean make, which worked.

     They arrived at the temple at the same time as Lukas. Petra was supposed to be with him but obviously she wasn't. Ivor was presumably already inside, the temple was much bigger than his own home and he set aside a room for himself to do nothing but make potions and enchant whatever was needed. "Petra went scouting for a new place to live, she said town is getting too close." Lukas answered before anyone could ask. It was true that even now the city was expanding, as people traveled to settle here and make their business here. Although Petra loved her friends dearly she did not fair well in the city, she was fine by day but at night, the noise never stopped. It made her anxious and she could never sleep. In the wild the only noises were those of the monsters and animals, a noise she grew up with and quite frankly comforted her throughout the night.

     They made for the living quarters in the temple's basement, the citizens inside stopping them to give them highfives and words of admonishment. The place was set up sort of like an art gallery, the public was welcome during the day. They could use the library and look at the treasures. Jean was the first to make to the stairway at the back of the main hall, Axel and Olivia were close behind. Of course Lukas and Jesse were caught in a swarm which took a bit to untangle from. Lukas, who got out first, had to reach in and physically pull Jesse away from the people. She waved at them as they descended the stairs, beyond where citizens were allowed. Clearly marked by the sign and gate.

     Lukas let go of Jesse's arm and Olivia elbowed her in the ribs. Axel and Jean let out a snicker under their breath. Jesse gave them both a sideways glance.

 

* * *

 

     Jean stood at the top of the stairs leading into the temple and waved her friends a goodnight. The last of the citizens were filing out as well, murmuring amongst themselves as they set out for their homes. Tonight would mark exactly 31 days since Jean had 'hatched'. It was odd going from unaware darkness to an eventful and people filled life. She headed back inside to the library, to her bed in her little alcove. Walking in and shutting the wooden door behind her, she shook out the sole torch in the room to let moonlight flood in through the holes in the door. Jean crawled into her bed and wrapped the wool blanket around herself, shifting around a bit to find a comfortable spot. Her eyes just barely closed when a sudden noise made her jolt aware. It sounded like stones being broken, she lay still in her bed, not wanting to draw the attention of whatever it was. When she held her breath she could hear footsteps echoing through the library and then they were gone.

     She climbed out of bed quietly and opened her door, in the far side of the wall was a hole someone had mined, just big enough to get through. They must've been rather patient as the wall was three layers thick. Stone bricks on the outside and inside, obsidian in the middle to blast proof the place. Patient with a diamond pickax. She crept slowly towards the door and when she peeked around the corner she saw the shadow of a person making turning a corner. She tiptoed after them as quickly and quietly as she could, accidentally kicking a small pebble, the figure froze and she ducked behind a protruding part of the wall as it turned to investigate the sound. She heard whoever it was take a couple steps in her direction, but seemingly satisfied it continued the way it was going. After what seemed like forever but was probably only a couple seconds she continued to pursue the figure.

     Whoever it was had lead her to the treasure room, basically the main lobby of the temple. She lowered herself to crouch and peeked into the open room. She watched as the figure swiped the enchanted flint and steel and the Atlas. The figure paused to scope out the place, it walked over to the original treasures. Then turned to presumably leave back the way it came. Jean panicked and backpedaled furiously to the library, vaguely aware that the figure was but a few blocks behind her. She couldn't let whoever it was get away with the treasures but it was going to brick the wall back up and she'd have to go back to the main room and leave through the front door which would give the thief a big head start. She ducked behind the protrusion once more and held her breath as the shadow ran past her, when she knew she wouldn't be noticed she ran back to the main entrance and left through the front door. Running the length of the building and turning the corner just as the figure finished putting the bricks back in place. 

It turned without seeing her and ran towards the plains, Jean took considering the risk of running head first into mob territory without any weapons but she couldn't let Jesse down like this. Not after the girl had given her basically all she has. Jean ran after the figure into the plains, it was atleast 20 blocks ahead of her and hadn't noticed her presence yet. She was a little bit faster than it was, closing the space to about 16 blocks now. It stopped infront of a blank dirt and stone wall, a pressure plate pulled back layers of stone to reveal a wooden frame. A portal. The portal to the hallway. Jean had read about it in Lukas' journal. The figure lit the portal and Jean finally took action, screaming and running at the figure startling it into dropping the flint and steal and the Atlas. Without think she tackled them through the portal. Dropping them 14 blocks high into a jungle, without anyway back. Jeans heart dropped as she fell with the figure and hit the top of a tree.

  
     She regained her breath before they did and she reared up to attack them, punched them square in the nose as they tried to sit up. "Look what you did!" She screamed at them, her voice bouncing around the endless trees. "What I did? You startled me and. And pushed us through the portal and. And. And punched me!" Blood dripped out of the man's nose. He deserved it. As the adrenaline faded away she took notice of the thief's features. Her heart this time raised to her throat, it couldn't be. "Who are you?" She asked as she watched him try to wipe away the blood still leaking out of his big nose, it was coming fast and he flinched when he touched. She had probably broken his nose. "My name is Soren." She really hoped she had broken his nose.


End file.
